Patna, Oct. 4: Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan today came down heavily on chief minister Nitish Kumar for agreeing to flag off senior BJP leader L.K. Advani’s rath yatra in Bihar, which has exposed the CM’s “pseudo secular” image.
“We criticise and condemn the decision (to flag off the yatra) as it might flare up communal passion considering Advani’s 1990 rath yatra, which created communal tension. Our alliance partner, RJD chief Lalu Prasad, the chief minister then, had not only stopped Advani’s yatra but also sent him to jail. But now the same Bihar is welcoming Advani, courtesy Nitish Kumar,” the LJP president told mediapersons here.
Stating that Rashtriya Swayam Sevak has made its presence strong in the state in the past six years of NDA rule, Paswan admitted that everyone has the right to undertake a yatra but the party would oppose the movement in case it leads to communal tension.
While criticising the Nitish government for failing to control the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, the LJP chief said the state government has also failed to improve the power scenario in the state apart from failing to check blackmarketeering of fertilisers.
LJP state unit president Pashupati Kumar Paras and spokesperson Lalan Kumar were also present on the occasion.
Comparing the Bihar government with that of the Congress-ruled Rajasthan, where nine Muslims were killed in a police firing in Bharatpur district on September 14, the former Union minister said Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot readily agreed for a CBI probe, lodged a case under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC against the district magistrate and superintendent of police (SP) apart from announcing a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin and a government job.
“But the Bihar government did not remove the erring officials, including the Araria SP, after the Forbesganj incident in which four Muslims were killed, forget compensation or a government job for the victims families,” Paswan said, adding that the state government set up a judicial probe instead of recommending CBI investigations only to hush up the case.
On Doranda bypoll, he announced that he would address two public meetings on October 11 in support of RJD candidate in Saran district.
Replying to social activist Anna Hazare’s demand that Jan Lokpal Bill should be passed in the winter session, Paswan said the bill is pending in the standing committee, a mini Parliament, which has given everyone — Anna Hazare, Aruna Roy, Jai Prakash, CBI, CVC and others — to put forth their views.
